You are viewing this article in the AnnArbor.com archives. For the latest breaking news and updates in Ann Arbor and the surrounding area, see MLive.com/ann-arbor
Posted on Tue, May 22, 2012 : 12:09 p.m.

Willow Run school board approves 26 para-educator layoffs

By Danielle Arndt

Willow Run Community Schools Board of Education approved laying off 26 para-educators, effective July 1, according to a report in the Ypsilanti Courier.

The vote at Thursday’s board meeting was 6-1 with Brenda Meadows opposing.

Five of the para-educators were paid through the Head Start program and 21 were paid with special education funds, the Courier article stated.

The Courier also reported that para-educators at the top of the pay scale were asked to take a salary cut from $19,468 to $14,091.

Also at Thursday’s meeting, the Willow Run school board passed a resolution supporting the Washtenaw Intermediate School District’s budget for 2012-13, which projected a decrease in special education reimbursements for local school districts.

Read the complete report in the Ypsilanti Courier here.

Staff reporter Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.

Comments

Rib Queen

Sat, Jul 14, 2012 : 8:34 p.m.

LAYING OFF lower paying para pros is not only wrong but a smoke screen for retaining staff who should receive mandatory retirement, staff in favor who's salaries are hidden information, staff with no official job title, medical retirements for folks like Ron Weidbush who rides around in a district van all day having not much else to do? All these people are at a much higher salary range and Martin knows of it. How about McClure with a top salary and still on board skulking around off the radar? There are top salaried staff supposedly retired and being paid as 'temporaries'? It's a joke! Those para pros are going to be needed when larger size classes happen and they will. Where is the leader of this mess and why are layoffs not being made public knowledge? I heard Merritt has been hiding out in the ladies room and Fulton phones it in from his den== Wilkinson is strangely unaccounted for. What a joke. And believe it or not the school board is in bed with all of this and has been since the trouble began. Why no accountability there? In the the kids always lose. It sucks.

Jade Coor

Wed, May 23, 2012 : 3:13 a.m.

This position are only 6.5 hours a day. The sad part is that many of those para's are almost about to retire. They are some administratives that their positions should be eliminated.

Goodneighbor

Wed, May 23, 2012 : 12:27 a.m.

How many hours per week are/were these positions?

Peter

Tue, May 22, 2012 : 6:06 p.m.

Look how much they make (made). And now they're out of a job. The school board should be absolutely ashamed of itself for failing to fairly compensate these people, and then laying them off to sub out the job, all at the expense of the kids in the schools. It's disgusting.

Jade Coor

Wed, May 23, 2012 : 3:14 a.m.

The board doesn't care they get their share of all this! what goes around comes around! God doesn't sleep!